(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to materials in mammalian tissues or fluids which accelerate wound healing.
(b) State of the Art
The use of topically or systemically applied drugs for accelerated healing processes of physically, chemically or physiologically induced tissue lesion, such as burns, surgery or ulcers, is described in the medicinal literature. For example, there are reports on anabolic steroids, vitamin A, vitamin K, zinc compounds, silver compounds or serum factors, e.g. factor XIII in blood coagulation, or high molecular compounds such as collagen or cartilage which all accelerate the healing process of tissue injuries. There are also reports on the successful treatment of tissue injuries with crude extracts from aloe or with low molecular weight extracts from mammalian organs. Such plant or animal extracts contain complex mixtures of poorly defined material with low levels of the active ingredients and high levels of inorganic salts.
The present invention provides three low molecular weight compounds from crude extracts of mammalian organs, blood, serum, or plasma which all accelerate the healing process of mammalian and human tissue injuries. The compounds can be isolated in relatively concentrated and pure form and have been substantially identified.